Vehicle body front structure

ABSTRACT

Provided is a vehicle body front structure including a front hood ( 7 ) provided in a front part of a vehicle body ( 3 ), and a port device ( 30 ) mounted to the vehicle body and positioned under the front hood. The front hood includes an outer panel ( 7 A) and an inner panel ( 7 B) attached to a back side of the outer panel, the outer panel and the inner panel defining a port opening ( 21 ) facing the port device and passed through the outer panel and the inner panel in a thicknesswise direction thereof, and being welded to each other along a peripheral edge ( 22 ) of the port opening, and a garnish ( 23 ) is provided on an outer surface of a peripheral part of the outer panel surrounding the port opening, and a lid ( 58 ) for selectively closing the port opening is provided on the vehicle body.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a vehicle body front structure having aport device which may include a charging port, a power feeding portand/or a fuel port, for instance.

BACKGROUND ART

In the field of electric vehicles, it is known to provide a port deviceincluding a charging port in a front hood of the vehicle. SeeJP2014-112997A. The front hood typically includes an outer panel and aninner panel attached to each other. The port device is positioned in ahousing fixedly secured to the inner panel. This prior patentpublication also discloses an arrangement in which a housing is attachedto the vehicle body, and an opening is formed in the front hood to allowaccess to the port device, but fails to disclose any details regardinghow a favorable external appearance can be ensured or how a sealingarrangement can be provided.

By supporting the housing of the port device by the vehicle body so thatthe port device may face an opening formed in the front hood, a chargingcable or a power feeding cable can be connected to the port device withease. Typically, a lid is provided on an upper open end of the housingto selectively provide an access to the port device.

However, when the port device is provided on the front hood, the weightof the front hood increases, and this adds to the effort required toopen and close the front hood. When the port device is supported by thevehicle body, and the front hood is provided with an opening to allowaccess to the port device, the stiffness of the front hood may beimpaired, and the external appearance of the front hood may be impaired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of such a problem of the prior art, a primary object of thepresent invention is to provide a vehicle body front structure whichallows a port device to be mounted to a vehicle body, and permits accessto the port device via an opening formed in the front hood withoutimpairing the stiffness of the front hood, and without impairing theexternal appearance of the front hood.

To achieve such an object, one embodiment of the present inventionprovides a vehicle body front structure (1) including a front hood (7)provided in a front part of a vehicle body (3), and a port device (30)mounted to the vehicle body and positioned under the front hood; whereinthe front hood includes an outer panel (7A) and an inner panel (7B)attached to a back side of the outer panel, the outer panel and theinner panel defining a port opening (21) facing the port device andpassed through the outer panel and the inner panel in a thicknesswisedirection thereof, and being welded to each other along a peripheraledge (22) of the port opening; and wherein a garnish (23) is provided onan outer surface of a peripheral part of the outer panel surrounding theport opening, and a lid (58) for selectively closing the port opening isprovided on the vehicle body.

Since the port device is mounted to the vehicle body instead of thefront hood, the weight of the front hood is not increased by thepresence of the port device. Since the outer panel and the inner panelare welded to each other along the peripheral edge of the port opening,the stiffness of the front hood is not reduced owing to the presence ofthe port opening. The garnish conceals the weld seam or the weld spotsfrom external view so that the external appearance of the front panel isnot impaired.

Preferably, the vehicle body is provided with a housing (36) having anopen side facing the port opening, the port device being received in thehousing, and the lid includes a lid plate (59) for selectively closingthe port opening, and a hinge arm (61) extending from the lid plate intothe housing and supported by the housing so as to be rotatable around alaterally extending hinge axis.

Since the hinge axis of the lid is positioned inside the housing, whenthe lid is in the closed position, a part of the lid is received in thehousing. Thereby, the amount of protrusion of the lid from the uppersurface of the front hood when the lid is in the open position can beminimized. Therefore, when the vehicle is traveling with the lid in theopen position, the load applied to the lid by the wind can be minimized.

Preferably, the lid is configured to move from a closed position to anopen position by a rearward rotation of the lid plate, and a rear partof the housing is provided with a lid receiving recess (38) which isrecessed more downward than a front part of the housing and configuredto receive at least a part of the lid in the open position,

Thereby, a large part of the lid can be received in the housing when thelid is in the open position.

Preferably, the lid plate has a smaller lateral width in a front partthereof than in a rear part thereof.

Thereby, the lid is prevented from interfering with the peripheral edgeof the port opening or the garnish as the lid is rotated between theopen position and the closed position.

Preferably, the housing includes a front wall (36A) extending laterallyin front of the port device, and a pair of side walls (36C) extendingrearward from either side edge of the front wall along either side ofthe port device, and wherein a front edge and side edges of the lidplate are fitted with a first seal member (64A) that projects downwardtherefrom so as to engage the front wall and the side walls when the lidis in the closed position.

Thereby, the port device is protected from the intrusion of moisture andother foreign matters.

Preferably, the garnish is provided with a flange portion (27)projecting beyond the peripheral edge of the port opening in a part ofthe garnish corresponding to a rear edge of the port opening, and a rearedge of the lid plate is fitted with a second seal member (64B) thatprojects downward and under the flange portion so as to overlap with theflange portion as viewed from above when the lid is in the closedposition.

Thus, a labyrinth seal is formed by the flange portion of the garnishand the second seal member so that the intrusion of moisture and otherforeign matters into the housing is prevented. Since the second sealmember includes a part extending under the flange portion of thegarnish, the second seal member does not interfere with the flangeportion of the garnish when the lid rotates between the closed positionand the open position.

Preferably, the first seal member and the second seal member arecontinuous to each other.

Thereby, the seal structure for the lid can be simplified.

Preferably, the rear edge of the lid plate coincides with a part of thelid receiving recess as viewed from above when the lid is closed.

Thereby, the moisture such as rainwater that may pass through the gapbetween the rear edge of the lid plate and the garnish can be collectedin the lid receiving recess, and can be kept away from the port device.

Preferably, a bottom part of the lid receiving recess is formed with adrain hole (90) passed through a bottom wall of the lid receiving recessin a thicknesswise direction.

Thereby, moisture such as rainwater that is collected in the lidreceiving recess can be discharged to the outside.

The present invention thus provides a vehicle body front structure whichallows a port device to be mounted to a vehicle body, and permits accessto the port device via an opening formed in the front hood withoutimpairing the stiffness of the front hood, and without impairing theexternal appearance of the front hood.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle body front structure accordingto an embodiment of the present invention showing a lid in a closedposition in (A) and in an open position in (B);

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the vehicle body front structure;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the vehicle body front structure;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken long line II-II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a housing of a port device;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the housing consisting of afront housing member and a rear housing member;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the front housing memberconsisting of a first member and a second member;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a rear part of thehousing;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the lid and an associatedseal member; and

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the lid and the housing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

A vehicle body front structure according to an embodiment of the presentinvention is described in the following. The vehicle to which thevehicle body front structure of this embodiment is applied may be anelectric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle body front structure 1 is a part of avehicle body 3 that defines a cabin and a front space 2 located in frontof the cabin. The vehicle body 3 includes a pair of fenders 4 thatdefine the left and right sides of the front space 2, a front bumperface 5 and a front grille 6 that define the front end of the front space2, a dashboard panel (not shown in the drawings) that separates the rearend of the front space 2 and the front end of the cabin from each other,and an under cover (not shown in the drawings) that delimits the lowerend of the front space 2. The upper opening of the front space 2 can beselectively closed by a front hood 7.

The front hood 7 is connected to the dashboard panel by hinges (notshown in the drawings) at the lateral ends of the rear part thereof, andis supported by the dashboard panel so as to be rotatable about a hingeaxis extending laterally. Thus, the front hood 7 can selectively closethe upper open end of the front space 2. The front wheels 8 are providedon either side of the front space 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle body 3 includes a pair of front sidemembers 12 extending in the fore and aft direction along either side ofa lower part of the front space 2 and a bulkhead 13 connected betweenthe front ends of the front side members 12. The bulkhead 13 consists ofa rectangular frame including a pair of vertical members 13A connectedto the front side members 12, respectively, an upper member 13Bconnected between the upper ends of the vertical members 13A, and alower member (not shown in the drawings) connected between the lowerends of the vertical members 13A. A radiator (not shown in the drawings)for cooling electric equipment is positioned under the upper member 13B.

A subframe 15 is provided between the left and right front side members12. The subframe 15 consists of a rectangular frame facing verticallythat includes a pair of longitudinal members 15A extending in the foreand aft direction, a front member 15B extending laterally between thefront ends of the left and right longitudinal members 15A at therespective lateral ends thereof, and a rear member 15C extendinglaterally between the rear ends of the left and right longitudinalmembers 15A at the respective lateral ends thereof. Each longitudinalmember 15A is connected to the corresponding front side member 12 via aconnecting member 16 extending in the outboard direction from anintermediate point of the longitudinal member 15A. The subframe 15 isprovided for supporting an electric unit 17 for charging and feedingelectric power. The electric unit 17 may include an AC-DC converter. Inaddition, a drive motor (not shown in the drawings) for driving thefront wheels 8 may be supported by the subframe 15. The drive motor maybe positioned under the electric unit 17. The upper member 13B and thefront member 15B extend in parallel to each other in the lateraldirection. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the front member 15B is positionedsomewhat lower than the upper member 13B.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the front hood 7 has a plate-like outer panel7A disposed on the outer side of the vehicle, and a plate-shaped innerpanel 7B disposed on the back side of the outer panel 7A. The innerpanel 7B includes parts functioning as beams to impart rigidity to theouter panel 7A by forming a closed cross section jointly with the outerpanel. The peripheral edge of the outer panel 7A is attached to theperipheral edge of the inner panel 7B by hemming. It is preferable thatthe outer panel 7A and the inner panel 7B are further bonded in selectedplaces by an adhesive agent or the like.

A port opening 21 is formed in a front part of the front hood 7 withrespect to the fore and aft direction, and in a central part of thefront hood 7 with respect to the lateral direction. The port opening 21is substantially rectangular (or trapezoidal) in plan view. An edge part22 of the outer panel 7A defining the port opening 21 is recesseddownward or toward the inner panel 7B. The edge part 22 of the outerpanel 7A is attached to the inner panel 7B at a plurality of locationsby spot welding. It is preferable that each side of the rectangular edgepart 22 is provided with at least one spot welded point. It is alsopossible to use laser welding or another form of welding that creates aweld seam between the outer panel 7A and the inner panel 7B. To increasethe stiffness of the pat of the front hood 7 surrounding the portopening 21, the inner panel 7B is formed with an annular bead recesseddownward along the periphery of the port opening 21 so as to form aclosed cross section surrounding the port opening 21 jointly with theouter panel 7A.

A garnish 23 is provided on the outer surface side of the edge part 22.The garnish 23 is made of resin. The garnish 23 has a substantiallyrectangular frame portion 24. The frame portion 24 is disposed along theedge part 22, and covers the outer surface and the terminal edge of theedge part 22. A plurality of engagement claws 26 project from the backside (lower side) of the garnish 23, and are passed through engagementholes 25 formed in the part of the front hood 7 corresponding to theedge part 22 to fixedly secure the garnish 23 to the front hood 7. Therear side of the garnish 23 is provided with a flange portion 27 thatprojects forward so as to overlap with a rear end part of the portopening 21 (or to overhang over a rear end part of the port opening 21).The garnish 23 rests upon the downwardly recessed edge part 22 of theouter panel 7A so that the upper surface of the frame portion 24 of thegarnish 23 is substantially flush with the upper surface of the fronthood 7.

A port device 30 is supported by the vehicle body 3 so as to be locatedunder the front hood 7. More specifically, the port device 30 issupported by a support member 32 which is fixed to the upper member 13Band the front member 15B in such a manner that the port device 30 facesthe port opening 21. The support member 32 that forms a part of thevehicle body 3 is formed by combining a plurality of sheet metalmembers. The support member 32 includes a main portion 32A fixed to theupper member 13B at the front edge thereof, and a pair of leg portions32B extending rearward and downward from either lateral end part of themain portion 32A. The rear ends of the leg portions 32B are fixed to thefront member 15B. The main portion 32A is formed in a plate shape and isinclined so that the upper surface faces forward and upward. The mainportion 32A is connected to the upper member 13B at the front edgethereof.

The port device 30 includes a port 34 (connector) that is electricallyconnected to the electric unit 17 by an internal cable, and an externalcable can be detachably connected to the port 34. The port 34 mayinclude at least one of a charging port and a power feeding port. Theport 34 may include a single port used for charging an onboard batteryand feeding electric power to an external user, or may include acharging port and a power feeding port that are provided independentlyfrom each other. The port device 30 is provided on the upper surface ofthe main portion 32A of the support member 32 so as to face forward andupward.

The port device 30 is received in a housing 36 that has a front wall36A, a rear wall 36B, a left and a right side wall 36C, and a bottomwall 36D, and is thus formed in a box shape having an open top side. Thehousing 36 in the illustrated embodiment is made of a plurality ofpieces of molded plastic as will be discussed in more detailhereinafter. The bottom wall 36D includes a front bottom wall 36E, arear bottom wall 36F positioned lower than the front bottom wall 36E,and a vertical wall 36G positioned between the front bottom wall 36E andthe rear bottom wall 36F and facing generally rearward. The rear wall36B is connected to the rear bottom wall 36F at the rear edge thereof,and the left and right side walls 36C are connected to the rear bottomwall 36F and the vertical wall 36G at the respective lower edgesthereof. The front bottom wall 36E, the rear wall 36B, and the left andright side walls 36C jointly define a port accommodating space 37 whichis formed as a recess having an open top side. The rear bottom wall 36F,the vertical wall 36G, the rear wall 36B, and the left and right sidewalls 36C jointly define a lid receiving recess 38 formed as a recesshaving an open top side. The upper part of the lid receiving recess 38is continuous with the bottom portion of the port accommodating space37.

As shown in FIG. 3, a side plate 41 made of sheet metal is attached tothe outer surface of each side wall 36C of the housing 36 in anoverlying relationship, and is fastened to the side wall 36C by screwsor the like. A lower edge part of a front end of each side plate 41 isconnected to a first support member 42, and a lower edge part of a rearend of each side plate 41 is connected to a second support member 43.Each first support member 42 is made of sheet metal, and includes avertical piece 42A extending vertically downward from the side plate 41,and a lateral piece 42B extending from the lower end of the verticalpiece 42A in the inboard direction. There is a substantially 90 degreeangle bend 42C between the vertical piece 42A and the lateral piece 42B.Each second support member 43 is also made of sheet metal, and includesa vertical piece 43A extending vertically downward from the side plate41, and a lateral piece 43B extending from the lower end of the verticalpiece 43A in the inboard direction. There is a substantially 90 degreeangle bend 43C between the vertical piece 43A and the lateral piece 43B.The lateral piece 42B of each first support member 42, and the lateralpiece 43B of each second support member 43 overlap with the housing inplan view or extend in the inboard direction under the housing 36.

The first support members 42 and the second support members 43 are eachconfigured to bend and deform at the bend 42C, 43C under a downwardloading in such a manner that these bends 42C and 43C form frangibleparts or parts that deform in a preferential manner under a destructiveloading.

As best shown in FIG. 6, the housing 36 includes a front housing member44 that forms a front part of the housing 36, and a rear housing member45 that is detachably connected to the rear end of the front housingmember 44 and forms a rear part of the housing 36. The front housingmember 44 provides the front wall 36A of the housing 36, front parts ofthe left and right side walls 36C, and the bottom wall 36D (the frontbottom wall 36E, the vertical wall 36G, and the rear bottom wall 36F).The rear housing member 45 provides the rear wall 36B and rear parts ofthe left and right side walls 36C.

As best shown in FIG. 7, the front housing member 44 includes a firstmember 46 and a second member 47 that are detachably connected to eachother. The first member 46 includes a front edge portion 46A extendinglaterally, a pair of side edge portions 46B extending rearward from therespective side ends of the front edge portion 46A, and a rear edgeportion 46C connected to the rear ends of the side edge portions 46B.The front housing member 44 is thus provided with a rectangular frameshape, and forms a peripheral part of the front housing member 44. Thefront edge portion 46A, the left and right side edge portions 46B, andthe rear edge portion 46C jointly defines a front housing opening 44E.The second member 47 is disposed inside the first member 46 so as toclose the front housing opening 44E. The first member 46 thus forms afront part of the front wall 36A, front parts of the left and right sidewalls 36C, lateral side edge parts 46B of the front bottom wall 36E,lateral side edge parts 46B of the vertical wall 36G, and a rear part ofthe rear bottom wall 36F. The second member 47 forms a rear part of thefront wall 36A, a laterally central part of the front bottom wall 36E, alaterally central part of the vertical wall 36G, and a front part of therear bottom wall 36F.

A plurality of connecting holes 46E are formed in an inner peripheralpart of the first member 46, and connecting claws 47A are formed in theouter peripheral part of the second member 47 so as to be detachablyconnected to the corresponding connecting holes 46E.

The rear bottom wall 36F formed by the first member 46 is provided withfirst engagement holes 48 in the rear edge thereof. Each side edge ofthe vertical wall 36G of the first member 46 is provided with secondengagement holes 49. The rear wall 36B of the rear housing member 45 isprovided with engagement pieces 50 in the lower edge thereof so as tocorrespond to the first engagement holes 48. The first engagement pieces50 are each formed in a hook shape that is configured to be hooked onthe edge of the corresponding first engagement hole 48. The front end ofthe rear part of each side wall 36C formed by the rear housing member 45is provided with second engagement pieces 51 detachably connected to thecorresponding second engagement holes 49.

In a state where the second member 47 is detached from the first member46, the lateral pieces 42B of the first support members 42 and thelateral pieces 43B of the second support members 43 are exposed upwardthrough the front housing opening 44E.

A front part of the front housing member 44 defines the portaccommodating space 37. A rear part of the front housing member 44 andthe rear housing member 45 jointly define the lid receiving recess 38.By releasing the engagement between the second engagement holes 49 andthe second engagement pieces 51, the rear housing member 45 can beseparated rearward from the front housing member 44, and the lidreceiving recess 38 can be exposed. At this time, the first engagementpieces 50 are kept engaged by the first engagement holes 48 so that therear housing member 45 can be rotated with respect to the front housingmember 44 around the first engagement pieces 50.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a pair of left and right front adjustmentnuts 52 are provided on the front edge of the main portion 32A of thesupport member 32, and a pair of left and right rear adjustment nuts 53are provided on the left and right leg portions 32B of the supportmember 32, respectively. The lateral pieces 42B of the left and rightfirst support members 42 are fastened to the corresponding frontadjustment nuts 52 by bolts. Further, the lateral pieces 43B of the leftand right second support members 43 are fastened to the correspondingrear adjustment nuts 53 by bolts. The height of the front adjustment nut52 and the rear adjustment nut 53 can be changed in the axial directionby the rotation of the corresponding bolts that are threaded with thecorresponding adjustment nuts 52 and 53. The height and the inclinationangle of the housing 36 can be thus adjusted by means of the frontadjustment nuts 52 and the rear adjustment nuts 53. With the secondmember 47 removed from the first member 46, the first support members 42and the second support members 43 become accessible from above so thatthe first support members 42 and the second support members 43 can befastened to the front adjustment nut 52 and the rear adjustment nut 53,and can be adjusted as required via the front housing opening 44E. Oncethe second member 47 is attached to the first member 46, the variousmounting components such as the first support members 42, the secondsupport members 43, the front adjustment nuts 52, and the rearadjustment nuts 53 can be concealed from view.

As shown in FIG. 5, the housing 36 is provided with a flange 54 thatextends outward from the upper edge of the front wall 36A, the rear wall36B, and the side walls 36C. The flange 54 is formed as a substantiallyhorizontal plate, and has a substantially rectangular frame shape inplan view. The flange 54 is provided with a rib 55 protruding upward.The rib 55 extends laterally along the front wall 36A, and extendsrearward from the lateral ends thereof along the respective side walls36C. A substantially horizontal contact surface 55A is defined on theupper end surface of the rib 55.

The front bottom wall 36E formed by the second member 47 is providedwith an opening 56 passed vertically therethrough. The port device 30provided in the main portion 32A of the support member 32 extendsthrough the opening 56, and is received inside the housing 36. A lightemitter 57 such as an LED is provided in the port accommodating space37, in particular a rear end part of the front bottom wall 36E.

As shown in FIG. 4, a lid 58 that selectively closes the port opening 21is rotatably provided in the housing 36. As shown in FIG. 11, the lid 58includes a lid plate 59 that opens and closes the port opening 21, areinforcing member 60 attached to the back side of the lid plate 59, anda pair of hinge arms 61 (arm members) connected to the reinforcingmember 60. A striker 63 is attached to the rear side of the lid plate 59via a bracket 62. The striker 63 is provided in a front part of the lid58. The lid plate 59 is provided with a seal member 64 attached to theouter periphery thereof.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the lid plate 59 is formed in asubstantially flat plate shape. The lid plate 59 includes a bulgingportion 65 bulging on the front side at the center thereof.

As shown in FIG. 10, the lid plate 59 is formed of a light-transmittingmaterial such as tempered glass, laminated glass, or resin. The lidplate 59 is provided with a translucent portion 59A having a lighttransmitting property and an opaque portion 59B configured to blocklight. Thus, the lid plate 59 is partly light transmissive. The opaqueportion 59B may be formed by coating a black ceramic layer on the backsurface of the lid plate 59. The light from the light emitter 57 passesthrough the translucent portion 59A, and can reach the outside of thelid plate 59.

As shown in FIG. 11, the reinforcing member 60 is made of asubstantially rectangular sheet metal piece, and extends laterally alongthe back surface of the lid plate 59. The reinforcing member 60 ispositioned in an intermediate part of the lid plate 59 with respect tothe fore and aft direction, and is positioned and dimensioned so as tobe entirely covered by the opaque portion 59B. The reinforcing member 60may be bonded to the lid plate 59. The lateral ends of the reinforcingmember 60 are provided with bent portions 71 that are bent downward in astepwise fashion with respect to the central portion thereof. A gap 73is therefore created between each bent portion 71 and the opposing partof the back surface of the lid plate 59 (FIG. 9). In order to increaserigidity, the reinforcing member 60 is provided with a plurality of ribs72 extending in the lateral direction.

As shown in FIG. 9, the left and right hinge arms 61 are sheet metalmembers. Each hinge arm 61 extends vertically, and has a major planefacing laterally. The upper end of each hinge arm 61 is bent in theinboard direction so as to form a flange portion 74. Each hinge arm 61is attached to the corresponding bent portion 71 of the reinforcingmember 60 at the flange portion 74 thereof by a threaded bolt or thelike. In another embodiment, the hinge arms 61 are formed as integralparts of the reinforcing member 60.

Each hinge arm 61 is disposed along the inner surface of thecorresponding side wall 36C. The side walls 36C are each formed with abearing hole 36H passed laterally therethrough. The lower end of eachhinge arm 61 is connected to an end of a hinge shaft 75 rotatablysupported by the bearing hole 36H so that the hinge arm 61 is pivotallysupported by the housing 36 at the lower end. The two hinge shafts 75extend laterally along a common hinge axis that forms the hinge axis ofthe lid 58. Thus, the lid 58 is supported by the housing 36 so as to berotatable around the hinge axis.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the lid 58 can be pivoted around the hingeshafts 75 between a closed position (shown by solid lines in FIGS. 1 and4) and an open position (shown by two-dot chain lines in FIGS. 1 and 4).In the closed position, the lid plate 59 is disposed substantiallyhorizontally and closes the port opening 21. Further, the lid plate 59is disposed so as to have an outer surface flush with the outer surfaceof the garnish 23 of the front hood 7. In the open position, the lidplate 59 is positioned rearward of the hinge shafts 75, and is disposedsubstantially vertically to expose the port opening 21. When the lid 58moves from the closed position to the open position, the lid plate 59rotates backward about the hinge shafts 75. More specifically, whenviewed from the left side of the vehicle body 3, the lid plate 59rotates clockwise around the hinge shafts 75. In the open position, alarge part of the lid plate 59 is accommodated in the lid receivingrecess 38, and a part thereof protrudes above the front hood 7.

As shown in FIG. 9, a biasing member 76 that biases the lid 58 to theopen position is provided between each hinge arm 61 and thecorresponding side wall 36C. A per se known rotary damper 80 is providedon the outer surface of the side plate 41. A gear 78 fixed to theoutboard end of each hinge shaft 75 meshes with a gear fixed to therotary shaft of the rotary damper 80. The gear 78 fixed to the hingeshaft 75 may be a sector gear, for example. The rotary damper 80 dampensthe rotational movement of the hinge shaft 75. A cover 81 is attached tothe outer surface of the side plate 41 to cover the outer end of thehinge shaft 75, the gear 78, and the rotary damper 80.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, a frangible portion 82 is provided in amiddle portion of each hinge arm 61 with respect to the lengthwisedirection thereof. In this embodiment, the frangible portion 82 is abent portion that is formed by bending the hinge arm 61 laterally in astepwise fashion. In an alternate embodiment, the frangible portion 82may be a portion of the hinge arm 61 that is thinner or narrower thanthe remaining part of the hinge arm 61. Further, the frangible portion82 may have at least one lightening hole. The frangible portion 82 isconfigured to preferentially deform so as to absorb the energy of adestructive loading that may be applied to the lid plate 59 fromoutside.

As shown in FIG. 11, the bracket 62 is connected to the back surface ofthe lid plate 59 in front of the reinforcing member 60. The bracket 62is a sheet metal member, and includes a substantially horizontal bottomwall 62A which is elongated in the fore and aft direction, a pair ofside walls 62B extending upward from the outboard edges of the bottomwall 62A, and a pair of flanges 62C extending away from each other fromthe upper edges of the respective side walls 62B. The bracket 62 thushas a hat shape when viewed from the front. The bracket 62 is attachedto the back surface of the lid plate 59 at the flanges 62C. The frontpart of the each flange 62C is provided with a bent portion 62D that isbent downward in a stepwise fashion with respect to the rear partthereof. A gap 62E is thus created between each bent portion 62D and theback surface of the lid plate 59. The striker 63 is connected to thebottom wall 62A, and protrudes downward from the bottom wall 62A.

As best shown in FIG. 10, the seal member 64 is made of a flexiblematerial such as rubber and elastomer, and includes a first seal portion64A extending along the front edge and the side edges of the lid plate59, and a second seal portion 64B extending along the rear edge of thelid plate 59. The first seal portion 64A has a main portion 64C thatextends along the front edge and the left and right side edges of thelid plate 59, and is bonded to these edges, and a lip portion 64D thatprotrudes downward from the main portion 64C. The lip portion 64D isprovided with a high level of flexibility. The main portion 64C of thefirst seal portion 64A is provided with a pair of laterally extendingportions 84 that extend from the positions thereof corresponding to theleft and right side edges of the lid plate 59 to the center side of thelid plate 59 along the back surface of the lid plate 59. The mainportion 64C of the first seal portion 64A is wrapped around the terminaledge of the lid plate 59 so as to cover the terminal edge of the lidplate 59 without protruding from the outer profile of the lid plate 59.

As shown in FIG. 9, the free end of each laterally extending portion 84fits into the gap 73 defined between the bent portion 71 of thereinforcing member 60 and the lid plate 59. The main portion 64C of thefirst seal portion 64A is provided with a front extending portion 85extending rearward from the front edge of the lid plate 59 along theback surface of the lid plate 59 to the center side of the lid plate 59.As shown in FIG. 4, the front extending portion 85 fits into the gap 62Edefined between the bent portion 62D of the bracket 62 and the lid plate59.

As shown in FIG. 8, the second seal portion 64B has a main portion 64Ethat extends along the rear edge of the lid plate 59 and is bonded tothe rear edge, and a lip portion 64F that protrudes rearward from themain portion 64E. In this case also, the main portion 64E of the secondseal portion 64B is wrapped around the terminal edge of the lid plate 59so as to cover the terminal edge of the lid plate 59 without protrudingfrom the outer profile of the lid plate 59. When the lid 58 is in theclosed position, the lip portion 64F of the second seal portion 64Bextends toward the lower side of the flange portion 27 of the garnish23, and overlaps with the flange portion 27 when viewed from above. Inother words, the gap between the rear edge of the lid plate 59 and thegarnish 23 is concealed by the second seal portion 64B. Preferably, thesecond seal portion 64B does not contact the garnish 23 or the housing36.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the lid 58 is in the closed position, the rearedge of the lid plate 59 coincides with a part of the lid receivingrecess 38 when viewed from above. As a result, moisture such asrainwater that has passed between the second seal portion 64B and theflange portion 27 of the garnish 23 falls into the lid receiving recess38, and is prevented from coming into contact with the port device 30.The rainwater collected in the lid receiving recess 38 is guided intodrain holes 90 formed in a bottom part of the lid receiving recess 38 asshown in FIG. 6, and is discharged out of the lid receiving recess 38.

In the present embodiment, the first seal portion 64A and the secondseal portion 64B are continuous with each other, and jointly form anannular shape. In an alternate embodiment, the first seal portion 64Aand the second seal portion 64B are made of separate pieces.

As shown in FIG. 5, a slot 94 is provided in a front portion of thehousing 36, or more specifically, in a front end portion of the secondmember 47. A latch 96 (locking member) is attached, via a bracket 97, toa part of the upper member 13B of the bulkhead 13 located under the slot94 so that the striker 63 that has moved into the slot 94 as the lid 58is about to be fully closed is engaged by the latch 96. The latch 96 maybe configured to release the engagement with the striker 63 by asolenoid mechanism which is controlled by a control unit not shown inthe drawing.

In the vehicle body front structure 1 of the illustrated embodiment,since the port device 30 is provided on the structural member of thevehicle body 3, instead of the front hood 7, the port device 30 does notadd to the weight of the front hood 7. Further, since the edge part 22of the outer panel 7A is welded to the inner panel 7B, even though thefront hood 7 is provided with the port opening 21, an adequately highstiffness of the outer panel 7A can be ensured. Moreover, since thegarnish 23 covers the welded portions, a favorable external appearanceof the front hood 7 can be ensured.

Also, since the hinge axis (hinge shafts 75) of the lid 58 is disposedinside the housing 36, the rear portion of the lid 58 is received in thehousing 36 when the lid 58 is in the open position. Therefore, in theopen state, the protrusion of the lid 58 from the front hood 7 can beminimized. Therefore, even if the vehicle should travel without properlyclosing the lid 58, the load that the lid 58 receives from the wind canbe minimized. In particular, since the hinge arms 61 extend from themiddle part of the lid 58 with respect to the fore and aft directioninto a part of the housing 36 located deep inside the housing 36, thelid 58 in the open position is caused to be received in large part deepinside the housing 36 so that the accessibility to the port device 30can be maximized.

The lateral width of the lid plate 59 is smaller in the front than inthe rear (thus defining a trapezoidal shape) so that the lid 58 isfavorably prevented from interfering with the garnish 23 and the housing36 when the lid plate 59 rotates from the closed position to the openposition.

When the lip portion 64D of the first seal portion 64A comes intocontact with the contact surface 55A of the rib 55 of the housing 36,the front side and the lateral sides of the port device 30 are sealed.Thereby, rainwater and other foreign matters are prevented from reachingthe port device 30 from these sides. Since the lid receiving recess 38is provided in the rear portion of the port device 30, rainwater andother foreign matters that may come into the housing 36 from this sideare trapped in the lid receiving recess 38, and prevented from reachingthe port device 30.

Since a labyrinth seal is formed by the flange portion 27 of the garnish23 and the lip portion 64F of the second seal portion 64B, foreignmatters are favorably prevented from intruding into the housing 36.Since the second seal portion 64B is provided below the flange portion27 of the garnish 23, the second seal portion 64B does not interferewith the flange portion 27 of the garnish 23 when the lid 58 rotates.

When an object forcibly strikes the lid 58 from the outside of thevehicle, the frangible portions 82 of the hinge arms 61 are deformed sothat the impact can be absorbed, and prevented from being transmitted toother parts of the vehicle body. Furthermore, the bends 42C and 43C ofthe first support member 42 and the second support member 43 are alsopreferentially deformed so that the impact can be absorbed, andprevented from being transmitted to other parts of the vehicle body.

Since the housing 36 is formed by the front housing member 44 and therear housing member 45 that are separable from each other, the lidreceiving recess 38 can be exposed by removing the rear housing member45 from the front housing member 44. Therefore, it is possible torecover an article that has fallen into the lid receiving recess 38.

By fitting the first engagement pieces 50 into the respective firstengagement holes 48, the rear housing member 45 can be properlypositioned with respect to the front housing member 44, and the rearhousing member 45 can be jointed to the front housing member 44 withease. When the rear housing member 45 is desired to be removed from thefront housing member 44, since the first engagement pieces 50 areengaged by the first engagement holes 48, the rear housing member 45 canbe first rotated with respect to the front housing member 44, and thenthe rear housing member 45 can be separated from the front housingmember 44 by disengaging the first engagement pieces 50 from therespective first engagement holes 48. Thereby, the detachment of therear housing member 45 from the front housing member 44 can be performedin a stable and reliable manner.

The front housing member 44 is formed by the first member 46 and thesecond member 47, and the first support members 42 and the secondsupport members 43 that support the first member 46 to the vehicle body3 can be exposed by removing the second member 47. Therefore, whenmounting the front housing member 44 to the vehicle body 3, the firstmember 46 can be first attached to the vehicle body 3 via the firstsupport members 42 and the second support members 43, and the secondmember 47 can be joined to the first member 46. Thereby, the assembly ofthe front housing member 44 to the vehicle body 3 can be facilitated,and the first support members 42, the second support members 43 and theassociated fasteners can be conveniently concealed by the second member47.

The present invention has been described in terms of a specificembodiment, but the present invention is not limited by such anembodiment, and can be modified in various ways without departing fromthe spirit of the present invention. For instance, the port 34 is notlimited to a charging port and/or power feeding port, but may also be afuel filling port having an inlet for filling fuel such as gasoline andhydrogen.

1. A vehicle body front structure including a front hood provided in afront part of a vehicle body, and a port device mounted to the vehiclebody and positioned under the front hood; wherein the front hoodincludes an outer panel and an inner panel attached to a back side ofthe outer panel, the outer panel and the inner panel defining a portopening facing the port device and passed through the outer panel andthe inner panel in a thicknesswise direction thereof, and being weldedto each other along a peripheral edge of the port opening; and wherein agarnish is provided on an outer surface of a peripheral part of theouter panel surrounding the port opening, and a lid for selectivelyclosing the port opening is provided on the vehicle body.
 2. The vehiclebody front structure according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle body isprovided with a housing having an open side facing the port opening, theport device being received in the housing, and the lid includes a lidplate for selectively closing the port opening, and a hinge armextending from the lid plate into the housing and supported by thehousing so as to be rotatable around a laterally extending hinge axis.3. The vehicle body front structure according to claim 2, wherein thelid is configured to move from a closed position to an open position bya rearward rotation of the lid plate, and a rear part of the housing isprovided with a lid receiving recess which is recessed more downwardthan a front part of the housing and configured to receive at least apart of the lid in the open position.
 4. The vehicle body frontstructure according to claim 3, wherein the lid plate has a smallerlateral width in a front part thereof than in a rear part thereof
 5. Thevehicle body front structure according to claim 3, wherein the housingincludes a front wall extending laterally in front of the port device,and a pair of side walls extending rearward from either side edge of thefront wall along either side of the port device, and wherein a frontedge and side edges of the lid plate are fitted with a first seal memberthat projects downward therefrom so as to engage the front wall and theside walls when the lid is in the closed position.
 6. The vehicle bodyfront structure according to claim 5, wherein the garnish is providedwith a flange portion projecting beyond the peripheral edge of the portopening in a part of the garnish corresponding to a rear edge of theport opening, and a rear edge of the lid plate is fitted with a secondseal member that projects downward and under the flange portion so as tooverlap with the flange portion as viewed from above when the lid is inthe closed position.
 7. The vehicle body front structure according toclaim 6, wherein the first seal member and the second seal member arecontinuous to each other.
 8. The vehicle body front structure accordingto claim 7, wherein the rear edge of the lid plate coincides with a partof the lid receiving recess as viewed from above when the lid is closed.9. The vehicle body front structure according to claim 8, wherein abottom part of the lid receiving recess is formed with a drain holepassed through a bottom wall of the lid receiving recess in athicknesswise direction.